Marijuana Warning

The notion that marijuana is safer for the user than alcohol, or at least no worse, has become one of the soothing and glibly repeated cliches of the day. Increasing numbers of medical men agree with it, among them James L. Goddard, who recently resigned as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Alarmed by widespread and often unverified acceptance of the idea, the A.M.A. and the National Research Council last week took a joint potshot at the drug in what the A.M.A. called a "major position paper" (translation: a report that falls just short of being official A.M.A. policy).

Medical research into the effects of marijuana is still in its infancy--so much so that last week's condemnation had to be based on the same sparse evidence that others have used to support the use, and legalization, of the drug. The major difference, therefore, was one of perspective and emphasis.

>It is well established that the use of marijuana does not produce physical dependence, but can result in psychological dependence. Advocates of legalized marijuana concede this, but add that already disturbed users are more likely than others to develop such dependence. The A.M.A.-N.R.C. report makes no such distinctions; by merely pointing out that the drug can cause psychological dependence, it implied that it should .be avoided.

> Those who use marijuana to excess, it is known, run the risk of lessened intellectual activity. Pot partisans point out that those who use alcohol to excess not only lessen intellectual activity but cause damage to the brain, liver and heart as well. The A.M.A.-N.R.C. report contents itself with pointing out that social productivity is reduced in those areas of Asia, Africa and South America where heavy use of marijuana is common.

> The purified and concentrated active ingredient of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), can cause the same sort of hallucinogenic symptoms as LSD. Pro-marijuana physicians point out that THC is in such limited experimental production and is so difficult to synthesize, that few if any marijuana users are likely to get their hands on it. The A.M.A. feels that any LSD-like drug, in any concentration, should not be available to the public.

> Hashish, a form of marijuana with an extremely high concentration of the hemp plant resin that gives a stick its kick, is more dangerous than the garden variety of "grass" generally available in the U.S. Pro-marijuana advocates admit this, but argue that legally available marijuana would lessen the appeal of hashish. The A.M.A.-N.R.C. report predicts that any relaxation of antimarijuana laws would encourage an even heavier illegal traffic in hashish, than that at present.

While condemning the use of marijuana and supporting strict penalties for those who sell it, the statement calls present penalties for possession of pot "unrealistic." First offenders, who now face up to ten years in prison for possession, should not be treated harshly, the medical groups recommend. Only penalties for second and third offenses, they add, should be made gradually more severe. And they feel that "additional research is needed to determine more about the effects of marijuana" before anyone should make up his mind about it.

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